‘Out of necessity and desire’: Healing Animal SCARS continues rescue work in HRM

What to do if you spot a stray kitten this fall.

Sonya Higgins has been rescuing cats and kittens for almost 20 years, trying to ensure injured, stray and feral cats find forever homes. With it being ‘kitten season’ the need for fosters and kitten rescues is top of mind for the Nova Scotia woman.

“It was out of necessity and desire to help more cats. I knew there was always numerous stray and feral cat colonies in our city, not just my local community,” Higgins explained on starting an animal rescue when she lived in Eastern Passage.

“My veterinarian and I started at a rescue called S.O.S. Kittens, where people from the community would bring kittens that they found born outside, and she would ask me to go with my humane trap to capture the mother cats, so that we could stem the tide of kittens,” she said.

“One of the first situations was a dear old cat who had lived outside for many years and had many litters of kittens. And when I trapped that cat, I brought it to the vet with her kittens, and she kept them for a few weeks. But then she asked me if I would take the mother cat back and work with her.

Long story short, I had the cat 13 years,” Higgins laughed.

After her first rescue, Higgins came home with 24 cats and kittens with respiratory infections from a small trailer that would likely have to be euthanized.

“I said that was the very day Healing Animal SCARS was born. I took them all home because I always believe in giving chances to animals that might not otherwise have a fortunate life,” he said.

Higgins said when people find cats and kittens, they don’t always know what to do and tend to leave them outside, especially in the warmer months.

“Immediately try to capture them,” she explained. “Sometimes it can be as simple as laying down a carrier with food inside, or with a string tied to the door so you can pull it shut. Other times, you would need a humane trap.”

Once people capture a cat, it’s recommended they take them inside and then to a vet or local rescue group.

However, Higgins says many rescues are closed to intake this time of year.

“In other words, their foster systems are full. They’re waiting to fundraise to cover veterinary bills, so I encourage people to reach out to the two primary shelters in HRM – the SPCA and Bide Awhile animal shelter to inquire if you could become part of their foster network.”

Fostering, she said, is one of the easiest ways to help animals in need.

“I always say to people, don’t expect somebody else to just solve the problem for you. Be part of the solution. Anybody can learn how to become a foster home and to save lives. Having a spare room can be the difference in an animal surviving and not surviving.”

As for kitten season, she adds it is technically all the time, but people see them more during certain months.

“Kitten season is January to December, but most people notice an influx of kittens between April, May, June, July, August,” she said. “And unfortunately, kittens that are born early in the season, some people just observe them in their backyard and think they’re so cute until October/November hits. Then they go, ‘I should reach to a shelter to see if they can take them.’”

She added that as winter approaches, rescues are needed to ensure animal survival.

Higgins also stressed getting cats spayed and neutered should be a priority to feline owners.

“If you are a pet owner who has a cat that’s not spayed or neutered, I hate to say this, but you are part of the problem, not the solution,” she said. “You need to reach out to a low-cost clinic if you can’t afford regular veterinary care.”

As for the cats Higgins helps to find homes, she sources them seriously.

“We ask that people respect their animals and treat them like family members and take them to the veterinarian when they have health issues and for preventive care,” she said. “So from day one, we get our cats tested for feline leukemia, we get them vaccinated, we give routine parasite treatments, we get them spayed and neutered, then they’re microchipped.”

For someone like Sarah Gray, adopting a kitten with Higgins was a lifechanging experience.

“I have had cats about 20 years and traditionally I have rescued cats through the SPCA,” said Gray. “But lately it’s been hard. I mean, we’ve been looking for a cat for a year, and we tried to go through other rescues.”

That’s when Gray found Healing Animal SCARS.

“A friend was actually fostering kittens through Sonya’s organization. And so, I had reached out and she had so many kittens. So we submitted an application. It was really simple.”

Gray has been impressed with her kitten Nico for the moment she met him, and with Higgins’ service.

“It’s been amazing. I forgot how much fun it was to have a kitten and Sonya was so caring. Like, she really is looking for families who are serious about it. It’s not just about taking away a number,” Gray said. “She wants to make sure it’s the right fit and that you’re going to care for the cat.”

Sometimes, Higgins said, fosters turn into adopters.

“That’s what we call foster fail,” she laughed.

“We’ve had many foster fails over the years, and sometimes that means that they’re unable to foster for us again. But some people have both. Foster fails and continues fostering,” she said. “We love it when people are brave enough to allow us to trust us, to find wonderful homes for the cats so that you can continue to foster helping the next cat in need.”

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